Yahoo: We'll be chatting about what can be done to protect gorillas in
their natural habitats... Leonardo will be joining us from Southern
California... and Sir Arthur will be in Sri Lanka... So, this will be a global
event!

Yahoo: We're getting lots of great questions for Leo... Please send
some in for Sir Arthur C. Clarke as well!

Yahoo: Welcome to Yahoo Chat. Our chat with Leonardo DiCaprio and Sir
Arthur C. Clarke will start in a few minutes... Keep sending in your questions!

Arthur C. Clarke: test

Yahoo: It looks like Arthur is rarin' to go... We'll get started in a
few minutes

Yahoo: As many of you know... Leonardo is passionately committed to
helping the environment... and he's particularly interested in the plight of
endangered gorillas...

Yahoo: Sir Arthur C. Clarke is the author of 2001... and he too, is
committed to preserving the environment...

Yahoo: Please send in your questions now! We'll get started in a few
minutes.

We have to end the fossil fuel age as soon as possible, use solar
energy and other forms of energy... Arthur C. Clarke

Leo DiCaprio: Animals on the verge of extinction...one of the saddest
things in the world to have them wiped off the earth.

Leo DiCaprio: It's affected me since I was a young boy.

Leo DiCaprio: In no way do we want to make light of the situation in
America by talking about gorilla conversation. We discussed postponing the
chat... this is a desperate situation.

Leo DiCaprio: These gorillas are being killed off at an alarmed rate.
Everyday, they get closer to extinction.

Leo DiCaprio: Experts say these gorillas are THE most endangered
mammals on Earth!

Leo DiCaprio: Thank you everyone for being here and trying to give
some attention to the subject, especially with all other situations going on
around the world.

These gorillas are THE most endangered mammals on Earth! Leo
DiCaprio

Question: How can we help save these gorillas from our own little
corners of this world?

Leo DiCaprio: Well, it's seriously complex issue. One that gets into
politics in the Congo, but the main thing we're trying to push is that any
donations to this effort would be fantastic. It would help people be able to
create "Gorilla friendly technology from leading companies"

Leo DiCaprio: People demand this from companies like Motorola, Nokia,
Intel, the items in consumer electronics.

Leo DiCaprio: What's going on the Congo... and why they're being
killed off...

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: The situation is rather complicated. There's a
material based on the element Tantalum which is used in computers, all your cell
phones, it's absolutely vital to out technology, and the main source is in the
Congo and the gorilla habitat.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: The locals collect this element and in the
process cut down their habitat, their trees, and in the process, also kill the
gorillas for meat, it's a terrible situation.

Leo DiCaprio: Stopping these would be more harm to the Gorillas than
not. We have to find a way to work with the people who are involved in mining
it.

Leo DiCaprio: Gorillas can actually benefit from having this material
in their back yard.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: Everyone needs to benefit - we can't stop the
production, it would bring down our civilization with no cell phones, but we
have to make everyone benefit.

Question: Hi Leonardo. What projects - apart from this chat - are
planned to gain international awareness of the illegal mining of coltan, the
unnecessary use of same for high tech products and the fatal result in respect
to the gorillas? Until recently I didn't personally have the slightest idea that
my cell phone could contain such stuff and have any connection what so ever to
the gorillas - trust this goes for most of us...

Leo DiCaprio: Neither did I until I started to understand about the
issue.

Leo DiCaprio: It's important to understand we want to urge the public
to look for gorilla friendly technology. Write to your organizations for
cellular phones to find out where this Coltan is coming from. Help make it a
positive thing for gorillas.

Question: What can learn from people like Dian Fossey?

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: The reverence for all forms of like, and
particularly those, of course, closest to us.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: On a personal note, I hope you've seen Gorillas
in the Mist. Sigourney Weaver who played her, she reminded me as a 11 year old
girl, she saw her first copy of Playboy magazine, when she was riffling my
briefcase while I was visiting her father!

Question: Is the use of Tantalum going to affect technology in the way
you use it in your life, Leo?

Leo DiCaprio: I think it's up to organizations to figure out a way for
people to be aware whether or not their products are gorilla friendly.

Leo DiCaprio: I wanted to get into some surprising things I learned
recently with Penny Patterson and Koko. The subject of how closely we are
related to them. How it's almost a form a specesism, the same as racism or
sexism.

Leo DiCaprio: By killing these animals off, we're placing ourselves on
a higher plane. Like Genocide.

Leo DiCaprio: Koko's reaction to WTC attack. She said, she felt very
sorry about what happened!

Leo DiCaprio: She gave an audible sigh. She responded to things like
life and death. Here's a conversation where an interviewer asked animals for
when they die. Her answer was, 'A comfortable hole, bye bye'

Leo DiCaprio: "When do they die?", her answer was "When they are
unhappy or old."

By killing these animals off, we're placing ourselves on a higher
plane. Like Genocide. Leonardo DiCaprio

Leo DiCaprio: Very profound things come from this gorilla. Almost like
the closest thing to contacting alien life forms, communication with another
species that has a moral belief system.

Leo DiCaprio: To lose these animals would be an insane tragedy.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: If one day any superior alien comes to earth, we
may be judged the way we've treated the other inhabitants of our planet.

Question: Do you see American government role in this cause?

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: Obviously governments have to play some role,
but private individuals will start it, and then convince their governments.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: It all starts with the individual.

Leo DiCaprio: Absolutely. More active in all walks of the
environmental struggle, from Global warming to endangered species.

Leo DiCaprio: As an economic superpower, we could make some dramatic
changes. I want to really thank everyone for being a part of this Chat. It means
American Citizens are focused on these kinds of issues. It shows you know it's
important.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: I'm glad to have joined you for this, and I hope
the work we're doing will make the world a better place for human beings and all
the life forms.

Sir Arthur C. Clarke: Thank you Leo for the bottle of Tammany Hall
wine you sent me, with the note that says, "I hope you live to drink this in
3001!"... I think that's a bit optimistic, but thank you!!

Leo DiCaprio: Goodbye Arthur. Thank you so much!

Question: Leo and C. Clark, what are your main goals for out future?
What do you hope to achieve by 2003?

Leo DiCaprio: Well, considering that the gorilla population was, two
years ago, the Eastern Lowland Gorillas, were around 8000. With 400 being killed
off a month, it's down to 800. This is a crisis situation for these animals. By
doing this chat and being further involved, we can bring an awareness to this
issue.

Leo DiCaprio: When you buy a can of tune, it's dolphin safe. When we
buy our cellphones, I want to see that they're gorilla friendly. These "animals"
are not so closely liked to us and similar trains of thought, but they took over
7 million years to develop into these perfections of nature and we can't afford
to wipe them out in the blink of an eye.

Leo DiCaprio: Anything we can do to preserve these lifeforms for
generations to come... would be wonderful.

Question: What could I do in my club at school to help save the
gorillas?

Leo DiCaprio: You could write to the mobile phone companies, or have
your school write a letter. It would make quite and impact to them. Nokia
Motorola Intel...

Question: Wouldn't it be a good idea to start an organization like the
red cross for these types of animals?

Leo DiCaprio: The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is an organization LIKE
that. There have been calls for an UN Agency for Endangered Species. There's a
lot of scope for that. At the moment there is not one... but

Leo DiCaprio: It would be very useful.

Question: What goal do you have set for yourself regarding to
preserving the lives of gorillas?

Leo DiCaprio: I'd like to just find any way possible to ensure their
survival. It starts not just me but anyone out there to look forward to what
they buy as consumer and what they can do, donation wise.

Leo DiCaprio: The goal is to bring these gorillas OUT of the
Endangered List... they are the MOST endangered mammal on earth.

Leo DiCaprio: When numbers drop that far down, you don't have that
many dominant males and that makes you unable to ensure the survival of the
species. To fight off disease for example, it's important to have strong
members.

Leo DiCaprio: We need to get these animals to a comfortable population
again. If people come BACK to my site in any few days, we'll have the address
posted where you can send the letter.

If one day any superior alien comes to earth, we may be judged the way
we've treated the other inhabitants of our planet. Arthur C.
Clarke

Question: Question for both Arthur C. Clarke and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Have either of you had any up-close and personal experiences with these
Gorillas, and if so, please describe them.

Leo DiCaprio: NO, I've not met these animals in the wild. I plan on
going to National Park and trying to have some sort of experience. Like the rest
of you, I've seen Gorillas in zoos. But you can ask that if people east them in
the wild as bushmeat, why can't we just move them to preserves? Why? It's
because they don't migrate and don't transplant.

Leo DiCaprio: There is no place to take them, or any way to get them
there.

Leo DiCaprio: Unfortunately, the misfortune of the cards has made this
mineral found in their homeland.

Question: Leo: Do you ever consider incorporating issues such as these
into your movies?

Leo DiCaprio: Specifically, I'd love to do an environmental film. It
would have to be done very well. It's a hard subject matter to take on. It's
very morbid. It would certainly be depressing film, considering how sad and
what's in store for us in the future.

Leo DiCaprio: But I would absolutely be enthusiastic as along as it
was well made and hit important issues. So far, I haven't seen a real
environmental film since Gorillas in the Mist.

Question: I've read that there are only 650 gorillas believe to be
left in the wild. How much time will it take for them to become extinct if
nothing is done to save them?

Leo DiCaprio: If nothing is done to save them?

Leo DiCaprio: It could be as little as 2-3 months!

Leo DiCaprio: Once again, this is why we decided that this chat had to
be done today. And addressed now.

Leo DiCaprio: It couldn't wait another day.

Question: Why can't we take these Gorilla's out of their habitat and
breed them somewhere else as they are doing with the pandas?

Yahoo: Greg is answering this one...

Leo DiCaprio: There's only 2 or 3 mountain gorillas ever in captivity
They're very high strung. If we tried to relocate them, we’d lose a good portion
due to stress and trauma of the operation. It would be counterproductive.

Question: Would you consider doing and hosting a documentary on the
subject Leonardo?

Leo DiCaprio: Absolutely!

Leo DiCaprio: I just wish that people would watch these. I did
something on the subject matter of Global Warming.

Leo DiCaprio: I would be up to it and I wish people would pay more
attention to these subjects. We can't lose sight of these issues and the future
of Mother Earth.

Question: Do you think that schools do enough to educate children
about environmental issues?

Yahoo: Greg answering this one, too...

Leo DiCaprio: The idea of schools "twinning" with other schools in
faraway places... by linking the schools together. One in North America and one
in Africa, for example. They communicate and discuss the issues they're dealing
with.

If nothing is done to save them, they may be extinct within as little
as 2-3 months! Leonardo DiCaprio

Question: Do you think more education need to be made on this matter
Leo?

Leo DiCaprio: We wouldn't be as involved in this if we didn't believe
in it. We can learn a lot from these gorillas. They have learned to coexist with
each other in a peaceful and fair way. We can learn a lot from them.

Leo DiCaprio: About interacting with each other. We haven't even
tapped into it yet.

Question: Leo I think you have what it takes to make a difference!
Never give up a good cause is how I think. Would you ever consider running for
governor?

Leo DiCaprio: I actually have a campaign next year! I was going to
keep it a surprise. Yes.

Leo DiCaprio: I'm just kidding.

Question: Leonardo, I want to congratulate you for your commitment to
the environment... even in your official web page, you dedicate more space to it
than yourself.

Leo DiCaprio: Thank you so much.

Leo DiCaprio: Thanks for the compliment and I hope to do that as long
as I live. It's a lifelong committment. There must be many of you out there who
take this as serious as I. A lifelong pursuit.

Leo DiCaprio: Here's one more quote from KOKO...

Leo DiCaprio: A conversation between Koko and his trainer - She asked
for a quote, saying she couldn't come up with any ideas. Koko said "Bad", and
the trainer asked about what gorillas know that people done, "Don't know."

Leo DiCaprio: Then the trainer asked what is the meaning of life.
Koko's answer was, "Polite people. People help good"

Leo DiCaprio: It proves once and for all how closely we are to these
fast diminishing creatures. And I hope and urge you all will do something about
it.